John W. Cooper 1935-2026

John was born Sept. 16, 1935, in Liverpool, England, the son of Charles H.D. Cooper and Katherine Watson Cooper.

John graduated and went on to Bootle Technical College in Liverpool, England. He moved to the United States in 1952 with his parents and sister. After he retired, he moved to the Fort Myers, Florida, area from 1992 to 2025 before moving back to Ohio last April.

He worked for 38 years for Ohio Edison in Niles as a yard foreman. His kids loved when they could go to work with him to climb on the coal piles and play on the train that was in the garage. John was home to see the large smokestack come down, telling a news reporter about remembering when it was built.

John was of the Baptist faith and always told everyone he met, “May God bless you.”

He was always honored to be asked to pray for someone. John’s love for soccer in England (he was a big Liverpool FC fan) led him to become a youth coach and FIFA-licensed referee in the 1980s. He had a wonderful admiration for woodworking and made all kinds of treasures for his family to cherish. He was a very kind and compassionate person, always leaving everyone with a smile. He encouraged helping others, simply because we are blessed. He took great joy in chauffeuring anyone who asked for a ride in his Rolls-Royce.

He leaves to cherish his memory his children, Mark Cooper, Kevin (Linda) Cooper, Scott (Tosha) Cooper and Kristen (Michael) Gallagher; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren, whom he adored.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Carole Cooper, who died in 2003; his second wife, Shirley Cooper, who died in 2021; his daughter, Deborah Cooper, who died in 2023; and his sister, Doreen Wood, who died in 2024.

Funeral services will begin at noon Friday, March 27, 2026, at Blackstone Funeral Home, where family and friends may call from 11 a.m. until the time of the services.

To view this obituary and to send any expressions of sympathy, please visit www.blackstonefuneralhome.com.

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